How did you get into the Sox?

[Jordan4life_2007]

Hurt.

[Rex Hudler]

I was a Reds fan when I was young. The first World Series I can remember is the 1975 Series between the Reds and Red Sox. In 1977, they started breaking up the Big Red Machine, trading Tony Perez. At the same time, Evansville, IN got cable. I started watching Cubs games after school and became a die-hard Cubs fan.

 

About 10 years ago I started working for a Sox affiliate. After getting to know the players and many of the front office personnel, my allegiance started migrating toward the Sox. As recently as 2003 I was still rooting for both. But the more I was exposed to the Sox and the more I got tired of listening to Dusty Baker, the Sox won out completely. Now, the Cubs bore me.

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

Born into it. Dad and his dad both Sox fans as is my slightly older brother. Johnny Mostil (centerfielder for the Sox in the 1920's) was supposedly a distant cousin. Growing up favorite player Ken Berry (CF) . I've always worn 16 on any baseball uniform I've worn since then because of him including my newest jersey in a softball league that starts in February. I'll be playing at the ripe old age of 49. My love for the game starts and ends with the White Sox.

[BMac Attack]

We're from Beverly originally, so that helped, but I didn't really get into baseball all that much, despite my grandfather's consistent prodding (other than watching the Sox on TV with him). I do remember clearly being proud of my spiffy Reebok Big Hurt sneakers at the age of six. The moment I really, truly started to follow every game was Esteban Loaiza's 21-win season when I was 14, in 2003. Coincidentally, when we traded him for Jose the next year, I was SO pissed, plus Chris Berman was predicting we got ripped off. We all know how THAT turned out. So Esteban taught me to love the Sox, and also that I needed to join SoxTalk, since ESPN knows nothing.

[lemon44]

My Aunt Rose and I would watch the SOX on 44 all the time.The Cubs played day games and I was in school and never saw a Cubs game on tv.I thought for a while that the only team in Chicago was the SOX.Thank GOD my Aunt Rose loved baseball and since 1977 when I was six I been a Die-Hard SOX fan.

[Steve9347]

My dad grew up a Cards fan, but moved to northern Illinois before I was born.

 

I was raised a Cards fan, but around the time I turned 10, started watching baseball religiously on television (1993). Because my dad was a Cards fan, i COULD NOT be a Cub fan.

 

Thank Christ for that one.

 

I've been in love with the White Sox ever since....

[Balance]

I was definitely born into it. My dad grew up on the South Side, I was born on the South Side, and there was never any issue as to which team my family supported. I was raised as a Sox fan from birth.

[BigEdWalsh]

I always thought that I was a Sox fan because of my dad. Truth is my dad wasn't that avid a fan until I came along and went crazy for the Sox. Actually his dad was an avid Cubs fan, but he died before I was born. I had a little speech problem when I was really little and my parents used to say that the first thing I ever said that they actually could understand was "Louie Aparicio". Growing up I worshipped Little Louie. I've always loved the Sox and hated the Cubs. I don't think anyone influenced that it just seemed natural and the only way to be.

[SadChiSoxFanOptimist]

My life-long Sox committment began in the early 1960's when, on summer days, I'd run to meet my dad on LaGrange Rd walking home from the train, hoping he'd be bringing home unused Sox tickets from work. He was employed by the Harris Bank which owned primo box seats right behind Mayor Daley's box, just 6 rows behind the Sox dugout. I'll never forget the look on his face when he'd pull those tickets out of his brief case.

 

He'd take me to 4 - 6 games a year to see Luis Aparicio, Floyd Robinson, Nellie Fox and rest of the the 60's Sox players. My favorite was Joe Cunningham, and I wore his #5 throughout my career as a first baseman.

 

I vividly remember how I was stunned I was by my very first view of that Comiskey playing field --- how vast, green and beautiful it was!

 

I applied annually to the Chicago Daily News contest to be the White Sox bat boy, without success.

 

After graduation from college, my fist resume was sent to Bill Veeck, with hopes for a career -- any career -- working for the team I loved. Sadly, I received a regret letter within 5 days of sending my resume!!

 

In 2005 my sisters and I were called to a Florida hospital Intensive Care unit to be with my 92 year old father for his last hours. Although he was barely conscious, my last words to him after telling him I loved him were THIS IS THE YEAR DAD....THE SOX ARE GOING TO WIN IT ALL!

 

He died minutes later and, as we know, they did....and will again!!

[fullcollapse]

My dad was a twins fan. he grew up in minnesota and went to school in minneapolis. living in southeastern south dakota, most everyone else here was a twins fan too. when i went to my first pro baseball game, i think it was about 88 or 89, the twins were playing the blue jays. well the twins lost and i decided i hated the blue jays. well in 93 the blue jays won the east, and of course the sox won the west. i was of course cheering for the white sox, because i absolutley hated the blue jays. and like many other people have said, i immediatly became a huge frank thomas fan, and a white sox fan ever since. my dad was pretty cool about it though. i would cheer for the twins when they weren't playing the sox. obviously i'm not cheering for the twins anymore, but i don't think i could ever hate the twins.

 

First pro-sports game I ever went to was a Sox/A's game when I was a little kid. Fell in love as soon as I walked into the stadium.

 

I vividly remember how I was stunned I was by my very first view of that Comiskey playing field --- how vast, green and beautiful it was!

i still remember the first time i went to a ball game. it was so cool walking out of the concourse looking at the field and all the people, and just being completely awe struck. best feeling in the world.

Edited January 14, 2007 by fullcollapse

[zygoat]

Family, as how it should be

[WilliamTell]

My life-long Sox committment began in the early 1960's when, on summer days, I'd run to meet my dad on LaGrange Rd walking home from the train, hoping he'd be bringing home unused Sox tickets from work. He was employed by the Harris Bank which owned primo box seats right behind Mayor Daley's box, just 6 rows behind the Sox dugout. I'll never forget the look on his face when he'd pull those tickets out of his brief case.

 

He'd take me to 4 - 6 games a year to see Luis Aparicio, Floyd Robinson, Nellie Fox and rest of the the 60's Sox players. My favorite was Joe Cunningham, and I wore his #5 throughout my career as a first baseman.

 

I vividly remember how I was stunned I was by my very first view of that Comiskey playing field --- how vast, green and beautiful it was!

 

I applied annually to the Chicago Daily News contest to be the White Sox bat boy, without success.

 

After graduation from college, my fist resume was sent to Bill Veeck, with hopes for a career -- any career -- working for the team I loved. Sadly, I received a regret letter within 5 days of sending my resume!!

 

In 2005 my sisters and I were called to a Florida hospital Intensive Care unit to be with my 92 year old father for his last hours. Although he was barely conscious, my last words to him after telling him I loved him were THIS IS THE YEAR DAD....THE SOX ARE GOING TO WIN IT ALL!

 

He died minutes later and, as we know, they did....and will again!!

 

Very touching story, that's awesome the Sox pulled it off.

 

My dad was a twins fan. he grew up in minnesota and went to school in minneapolis. living in southeastern south dakota, most everyone else here was a twins fan too. when i went to my first pro baseball game, i think it was about 88 or 89, the twins were playing the blue jays. well the twins lost and i decided i hated the blue jays. well in 93 the blue jays won the east, and of course the sox won the west. i was of course cheering for the white sox, because i absolutley hated the blue jays. and like many other people have said, i immediatly became a huge frank thomas fan, and a white sox fan ever since. my dad was pretty cool about it though. i would cheer for the twins when they weren't playing the sox. obviously i'm not cheering for the twins anymore, but i don't think i could ever hate the twins.

i still remember the first time i went to a ball game. it was so cool walking out of the concourse looking at the field and all the people, and just being completely awe struck. best feeling in the world.

 

We have a lot of simularities in this. Earlier I stated that Bo Jackson was the reason and he was the biggest reason, but before I liked the Sox I liked the Twins too. I was sad the Twins didn't make the playoffs in 1993 so I was going for the White Sox since my favorite football player was playing baseball. Even though they lost I just stuck with them.

[SleepyWhiteSox]

Been a South Sider my whole life.

 

Bridgeport 'til about 2...then Brighton Park 'til about 12...and now Gage Park...

[shipps]

I was a Reds fan when I was young. The first World Series I can remember is the 1975 Series between the Reds and Red Sox. In 1977, they started breaking up the Big Red Machine, trading Tony Perez. At the same time, Evansville, IN got cable. I started watching Cubs games after school and became a die-hard Cubs fan.

 

About 10 years ago I started working for a Sox affiliate. After getting to know the players and many of the front office personnel, my allegiance started migrating toward the Sox. As recently as 2003 I was still rooting for both. But the more I was exposed to the Sox and the more I got tired of listening to Dusty Baker, the Sox won out completely. Now, the Cubs bore me.

Couldnt you have just lied?Iam not sure if Iam mature enough to ever forget this post Mr.Hudler.

[Rex Hudler]

Couldnt you have just lied?Iam not sure if Iam mature enough to ever forget this post Mr.Hudler.

 

LOL Sorry, but it is what it is. Isn't where I am now more important than where I've been?

[shipps]

LOL Sorry, but it is what it is. Isn't where I am now more important than where I've been?

Thats what she said after I got burned.

[BFirebird]

My dad is the reason I am a Sox fan. I grew up at the old park and the current one and wouldn't have it any other way.

[J-MAN]

I grew up on the North side but am a life long White Sox fan!

 

The reason - my dad had to work for a living and when he took me to games they were night games at old Comiskey.

 

I will never forget those early games - seeing Nellie Fox and Louie. One of my earliest Sox memories is a game aganst the Yankees and White Ford.

 

I sometime miss the old park but the atmosphere at the new park is growing on me - I hope I have instilled this love of the White Sox in my son!

 

 

[KevHead0881]

Parents were born and raised on the South Side. They are also lifelong die hards, who have been following the Sox since the days of Nellie, Louis and Minnie. While myself and my nine brothers and sisters were all born and raised in the Northwest burbs (Cub country), my parents did their best to make sure that all of us were Sox fans. They were successful on eight of us. The other two aren't allowed at family functions.

 

For me though, my parents didn't have to do a lot of convincing. I, of course, was born a Sox fan, but didn't really follow it closely until 1990. I had just started playing little league, and baseball became more and more apart of my life, so that season couldn't have come at a better time. With the obvious exception of 2005, that 1990 season was the most exciting season I've experienced as a White Sox fan. Even though we didn't win anything, I was officially hooked after that.

 

17 years later (man, thats hard to believe), my fanaticism has only grown.

[The Beast]

My families blood bleeds of baseball. My sister starts on the Bradley University softball team, my other sister played softball, and my two brothers are on their high school team. I am an officially patched IHSA Umpire, so I can't get enough of baseball, we will sit in White Sox gear and follow every game as a family.

 

But if you must know, in 4th grade, I was invited by a friend to go to a White Sox game, back in say...1997? And the Sox weren't that great, but weren't that bad, so I started to enjoy my time at the ballpark. 1999 is when I next made it out to the ballpark, though I watched the games on WGN and WFLD, and WCIU.

 

Really, it was a time for my Dad and I to bond at the games and so we went to the second game at home, scored big on tickets, 3 rows behind the plate off a scalper. Since 2000, I've been hooked. Though I would have been a Sox fan regardless, I've always hated the Chicago Cubs.

Edited January 15, 2007 by Beastly

[Tuna]

I grew up in Bridgeport (33rd and Parnell), the neighborhood is what it is. I use to stand out in front of the old comiskey everyday getting autographs, get tickets for a few dollars and sneak to the box seats, back then the stadium wouldnt get half filled so nobody really cared where we sat. ive loved baseball for as long as i could remember, it only seems natural that I should root for the team that plays a few blocks from home...

 

if anybody cares, the nicest player i ever came in contact with was Harold Baines. The man would literally sign a hundred things if thats what you had.

[IlliniKrush]

My dad is a die hard Cubs fan. But back when the new park opened, he split season tickets in the club level (4 of them) with his 2 brothers, just so we could all see some baseball games (i have 2 younger sisters). So starting at age 7, comiskey park was my home during the summer for the next few years with those season tickets. Easy enough to become a sox fan going that route. To this day my dad will talk to other people about the 'huge error' he made.

[SnB]

When i started really getting into little league (1993), the sox were the talk of the town. Frank thomas, robin ventura, etc.

 

I used the frank thomas stance in little league, no wonder i sucked.

[Drew]

I remember a Little League field trip to Old Comiskey, we got to go out on the field during BP. Steve Carlton pitched his 5,000th inning that day with the Sox, and we all stood. It's not every day you get to see a Hall of Famer pitch, and within a couple of years I saw Tom Seaver and Lefty.

 

We went onto the field that day during BP, it was surreal. I also had a chance to do the same at Wrigley, took fielding clinics with Chris Speier, got game-calling tips from Jody Davis, and found out that Steve Stone was a total prick, but it wasn't the same as the hallowed Old Comiskey.

[thedoctor]

my dad got me into the sox, which is odd because he's not a big sports fan at all. i rarely remember him (ever?) watching games when i was a kid, but we'd go to a game at the old park at least once every summer.

 

the sox were the first team i really got into. like many of the older fans here i remember watching them on channel 44 back in the day.